The Apprentice

Abbi Lavill
Legal apprentice
Gowling WLG LLP

I didn’t want the rising tuition fees or to land myself in debt and the student lifestyle never once seemed like something I’d enjoy.

Despite not being sure what I wanted to do when I left school, one thing I was sure about was that I didn’t want to go to university; instead, I wanted something that meant I could get a head start on everyone else in the world of work, earn a salary and, ultimately, use those three years to get my foot in the door of a firm and start carving out a career for myself. I started looking at apprenticeships as an alternative after one of my friends told me about CILEx. And after several aptitude tests, a phone interview, and a formal interview and securing the required grades, I was offered a position at Gowling WLG where I’ve now been working since September 2015.

My day can consist of anything from drafting and reviewing documents to attending all-party meetings and site visits. The work is incredibly varied, and it’s so satisfying to see the things that you’re studying come alive in what you’re doing day-to-day; it really helps to motivate you to keep learning and makes the work you put in seem all the more worthwhile.

If university isn’t something you’re interested in, then don’t convince yourself that it’s right for you purely because it’s considered ‘the next step’ . Remember that there are other options out there for you, and so far the CILEx route has been perfect in helping me to achieve my goals.